Adjustable vacuum control for distributor



m. w, 1966 F. SARG 3,234,929

ADJUSTABLE VACUUM CONTROL FOR DISTRIBUTOR Filed Feb. 27, 1964 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.

L II

Q: 64 70 g/ 56k 7 20 fin E 7 (26 m L L Fredrick Sarg IN VENTOR.

Feb 15, 1966 F. SARG 3,234,929

ADJUSTABLE VACUUM CONTROL FOR DISTRIBUTOR Filed Feb. 27, 1964 2Sheets-Sheet 2 II II II III F re dric/r .Sarg

I N VEN TOR.

M3053. BY (WW9 25m United States Patent Filed Feb. 27, 1964, Ser. No.347,835 Claims. (Cl. 123-1465) This invention relates to a novel anduseful adjustable vacuum control'for distributor assemblies of the typeincluding a vacuum actuated spark advance mechanism communicated withthe interior of the intake manifold of an associated internal combustionengine by means of a vacuum conduit.

The vacuum control of the instant invention includes valve meansoperable to adjustably meter the fiow of air from the distributor to theintake manifold and to allow free passage of air from the intakemanifold to the distributor upon the formation of a predetermineddifierential in air pressure onthe intake manifold side of the vacuumcontrol above the air pressure on the distributor side of the vacuumcont-r01.

The adjustable vacuum control of the instant invention is constructed ina manner whereby the normal rate of advance of the ignition of theassociated internal combustion engine effected by an increase inmanifold vacuum may be reduced. While various types of internalcombustion engines include only centrifugal spark advance assembliesinthe associated distributor and other internal combustion engines includea single or a pair of vacuum actuated spark advance assemblies disposedin tandem and both vacuum and centrifugal assemblies for advancing theignition timing of an internal combustion engine, the adjustable vacuumcontrol of the instant invention is constructed in a manner whereby itmay be readily installed on substantially all types of internalcombustion engine distributor assemblies including vacuum actuated sparkadvancing mechanisms. In addition, the adjust-able vacuum control of theinst-ant invention is further constructed in a manner whereby it may bereadily installed on internal combustion engines utilizing vacuumactuated distributor ignition advance assemblies without requiring thenecessity of modifying either the intake manifold, carburetor ordistributor assembly of the associated internal combustion engine.

The main object of this invention is to provide an adjustable vacuumcontrol assembly that maybe utilized in conjunction with substantiallyall existing vacuum actuated distributor timing mechanisms to delay thespark advancing action of the vacuum actuated distributor timingmechanism in terms of degrees of rotation of the spark advancingmechanism or the measurement of time required to actuate the vacuumactuated distributor timing advancing mechanism in response to apredetermined increase in manifold vacuum.

A further object of this invention is to provide an adjustable vacuumcontrol in accordance with the preceding object which may be readilyadded to the existing vacuum actuated distributor ignition timingadvancing mechanism of an internal combustion engine by inserting theadjustable vacuum control in the conventional vacuum conduit extendingfrom the intake manifold to the vacuum actuated distributor timingadvancing mechanism.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an adjustable vacuumcontrol in accordance with the preceding objects which requires nospecial manifold, carburetor or distributor alterations when installingthe vacuum control of the instant invention on an internal combustionengine.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an adjustablevacuum control that may be readily adjusted so as to compensate for theuse of fuel having various octane ratings used in the associatedinternal combustion "ice engine without the operation of the internalcombustion engine being adversely affected by spark-knock.

Another important object of this invention is to provide an adjustablevacuum control in accordance with the preceding objects which does notreplace or do away with the conventional vacuum actuated distributortiming advancing mechanism with which it is associated but which insteadadds to the flexibility and action of the associated vacuum actuateddistributor timing advancing mechanism.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein isto provide an adjustable vacuum control which will conform toconventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy toinstall so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible,long lasting and relatively troublefree in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary diagrammatical view of the intake manifold ofan internal combustion engine and the associated ignition distributorthereof including a vacuum actuated ignition timing advancing mechanismshown with the adjustable vacuum control of the instant inventiondisposed within the vacuum conduit extending between the carburetor ofthe internal combustion engine mounted on the inlet of the intakemanifold and the distributor;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the adjustable vacuum control shownwith both of the outlets thereof unobstructed;

FIGURE 3 is an end elevational view of the embodiment illustrated inFIGURE 2 of the drawings as seen from the right end thereof;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially upona plane indicated by the section line 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the planeindicated by the section line 5-5 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon theplane indicated by the section line 66 of FIGURE 4.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 generallydesignates the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine to whicha conventional form of carburetor generally referred to by the referencenumeral 12 is secured by means of suitable fasteners 14. The internalcombustion engine includes a conventional distributor generally referredto by the reference numeral 16 which includes a vacuum actuated ignitiontiming advancing mechanism 18 which usually has its outlet 20communicated with the interior of the intake manifold 10 by means of avacuum conduit 22 extending between the outlet 29 and the inlet fitting24 which is communicated with the interior of the carburetor 12.

The adjustable vacuum control of the instant invention is generallydesignated by the reference numeral 26 and includes a valve body 23defining passage means 3i extending therethrough including an inlet end32 and an outlet end 34. The passage means 30 is defined by first andsecond blind bores 36 and 38 formed in the body 28 and defining firstand second passage means sections, respectively. The outer end of theblind bore 36 is internally threaded as at 4t? and the outer end of theblind bore 38 is also internally threaded as at 42. The inner end of thebore 36 is diametrically reduced as at 44 and first passage means 46communicates the inner end of the bore 36 with the bore 38 intermediateits opposite ends while second passage means 48 communicates the innerend of the bore 33 with the bore 36 intermediate its opposite ends. Thefirst passage means 46 comprises a bore including a reduced diameterinner end portion 50 which opens into the bore 38 and defines a valveseat 52 at its end remote from the blind bore 38. The end of the bore 46remote from the blind bo;e 38 opens outwardly of the body 28 and isclosed by means of a headed expandable rivet 56, a check valve member 58being disposed in seated engagement with the seat 52 and spring urgedinto seated engagement with the seat 52 by means of a coil spring 60disposed between the inner end of the rivet 56 and the ball check valve58. The bores 36 and 38 and the second passage means 43 define a mainpassage while the bores 44 and 50 and the first passage means 46 definea bypass passage.

The body 23 has a threaded bore 62 formed therein in axial alignmentwith the second passage means 48 and a threaded needle valve member 64threadedly engaged in the bore 62 which includes a pointed end portion66 which may be adjusted and positioned relative to the flared end 68 ofthe second passage means 48 remote from the bore 38.

A lock nut is threadedly engaged on the threaded portion of the needlevalve member 64 and projects outwardly of the body 28 and a sealingwasher '72 is disposed on the needle valve member 64 between the locknut 70 and the body 28. Therefore, it may be seen that the needle valvemember 64 adjustably meters the flow of air through the main passage 36,38 and 48 and that the check valve 58 allows air to flow through thebypass passage 44, 46 and 50 in only one direction from the outlet end34 to the inlet end 32.

With attention now directed to FIGURES 2 and of the drawing it will beseen that a further bore 74 is formed in the body 23 disposed atsubstantially right angles to the bore 38 and in communication with thelatter at its inner end. In normal operation, a plug '76 is threadedlysecured in either the bore 38 or the bore 74, the unobstructed bore thenbeing communicated with the interior of the carburetor 12 by means ofthe valving conduit 22. The provision of the bores 38 and '74 disposedat right angles to each other enables the vacuum control to be installedon a greater number of existing internal combustion engines withouteffecting a rerouting of the vacuum conduit 22 thereof.

In operation, the needle valve 64 may be adjusted as desired so as torestrict the flow of air through the valve body 28 from the inlet to theoutlet thereof and thereby delay the advancing of the ignition timingeffected by the distributor timing advancing mechanism 18. In addition,the compression spring 60 may be replaced by other compression springscapable of effecting more or less thrust on the check valve member 58 tourge it into seating engagement with the seat 52 and thereby vary thepressure differential required to unseat the valve member 58 from itsseat 52 and thereafter afford substantially unrestricted fiow of airthrough the body 28 from the outlet to the inlet thereof.

These adjustments of the vacuum control enable the action of the vacuumactuated timing advancing mechanism to be varied as desired and with theuse of an apparatus which is simple in construction and thereby reliablein operation, inexpensive to produce and easy to adjust.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since nume1ous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An adjustable vacuum control for distributor assemlies of the typeincluding a vacuum actuated spark advance mechanism communicated withthe interior of the intake manifold of an associated internal combustionengine by means of a vacuum conduit, said vacuum control comprising avalve body defining a main passage extending therethrough including aninlet end and an outlet end, said valve body being adapted to bedisposed in said conduit with said inlet end opening outward toward saiddistributor and said outlet end opening outward toward said manifold,said valve body including first adjustable fixed valve means operable toadjustably meter the flow of air through said main passage from saidinlet end toward said outlet end, said valve body also defining a bypasspassage bypassing said adjustable fixed valve means and opening intosaid main passage intermediate its inlet and outlet ends, said valvebody including second pressure diflerential responsive check valve meansdirectly communicated with said outlet end and operable, only upon theformation of a predetermined differential in air pressure in said inletend below the air pressure in said outlet end, to allow free passage ofair in one direction only through said bypass passage from said outletend toward said inlet end.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said first valve means is alsooperable to adjustably meter the flow of air from said outlet towardsaid inlet.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said second valve means includes aspring urged check valve member.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said first valve means comprisesan adjustable needle valve assembly.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said second valve means comprisesa spring urged check valve assembly defining a valve seat opening towardsaid inlet and a check valve element movable into seated engagement withsaid seat, spring means yieldingly urging said check valve element intoseated engagement with said seat.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,963,628 6/1934Mallory 123117.l 2,274,316 2/1942 Arthur 123-1 17.1 2,361,271 10/1944Colvin 123117.1 2,650,581 9/1953 Short et al. 123117.1

SAMUEL LEVINE, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Examiner.

1. AN ADJUSTABLE VACUUM CONTROL FOR DISTRIBUTOR ASSEMBLIES OF THE TYPEINCLUDING A VACUUM ACTUATED SPARK ADVANCE MECHANISM COMMUNICATED WITHTHE INTERIOR OF THE INTAKE MANIFOLD OF AN ASSOCIATED INTERNAL COMBUSTIONENGINE BY MEANS OF A VACUUM CONDUIT, SAID VACUUM CONTROL COMPRISING AVALVE BODY DEFINING A MAIN PASSAGE EXTENDING THERETHROUGH INCLUDING ANINLET END AND AN OUTLET END, SAID VALVE BODY BEING ADAPTED TO BEDISPOSED IN SAID CONDUIT WITH SAID INLET END OPENING OUTWARD TOWARD SAIDDISTRIBUTOR AND SAID OUTLET END OPENING OUTWARD TOWARD SAID MANIFOLD,SAID VALVE BODY INCLUDING FIRST ADJUSTABLE FIXED VALVE MEANS OPERABLE TOADJUSTABLE METER THE FLOW OF AIR THROUGH SAID MAIN PASSAGE FROM SAIDINLET END TOWARD SAID OUTLET END, SAID VALVE BODY ALSO DEFINING A BYPASSPASSAGE BYPASSING SAID ADJUSTABLE FIXED VALVE MEANS AND OPENING INTOSAID MAIN PASSAGE INTERMEDIATE ITS INLET AND OUTLET